Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-01-28
GRANT AND MCCLELLAN.
Editor Dana Thinks McCIeilan's Book IL
"Prolonged Whine"

"Prolonged Whine"
Charles A. Dana editor of the New
York sun, was assistant secretary of war
during the rebellion. Writing of certain
passages in McClellan's forthcoming book,
Mr. Dana recently said:
40 really strong man ever whines
amt much of this book is Il protracted
whine. Not having been intimately asso-
ciated with Mr.. Stanton until after the
Mcclellan episode. we are not able to
speak from any special knowledge upon
the subject but there is one general con
sideration which in our judgment over
balances all the specific and detailed accu-
Stations which General Mcclellan alleges.
Mr.. Stanton was man of intense pur-
pose and ardent passion, and he mad pre-
JUDGES and animuslties; but his great
and constant wish was to finish the war
and save the Union. To thisaend he was
seeking continually for II general who
could cope with Lee and break down ana
conquer the great army OF the confeder-
acy-the army of Northern Virginia. and
in this search Mr.. Lincoln went with him
at every step, so that Stanton did nothing
that Lincoln did not entirely approve.
After they had tried Mcclellan and con
WINGED themselves that he was not equal
to the lob they next tried Burnside and
next Hooker, and when they were both
found inadequate they were laid aside
just rs relentlesslya as Mcclellan had been.
Finally they took Grant and he did the
business which none of his predecessors
had been able to accomplish. These facts,
we think dispose of the whole of General
McClellan's long complaint. OF course, it
was not pleasing to be set aside, nor was
| it pleasing to his friends, and the number
of these was great but the secretary OF
war could not consider either their dlsap
pontment or McCleliau's own mortified
ton. What he was after was a general
who could beat Lee and wind up the re-
belion and at last he found him. That
! is the whole story"
A confederate officer, one McCurdy of
Alabama, dissents from MI Dana's judy
ment and inquiries if there was not diff
! ference between Lees strength when Nc
when Grant assailed and crushed him ;
and if MIR. Dana honestly believes" If
Grant had met Lee previously even to
Gettysburg he would have cut greater
figure in history than Hooker and Burn
side ?" In reply Mr. Dana says
at is indubitably true that the problem
presentedto Grant when he assumed com
mand of the loyal armies III Virginia WAS
very different from the one which Nc
Clellan had to wrestle with, but II is also
true that Grant went about ii IN Il way
very different from that pursued by Nc
Clelan. He lost no time in moving out to
find and fight Lee, with just what re
sources the government was able to put at
his command, and before going he sad,
man fashion, to Mr.. Lincoln and Mr..
stanton, that they had done all they could
to promote his success, and if he failed the
fault would be his own ana not theirs
He did not decline to explain his plans 10
the president, as Mcclellan diu nor did
he move his army by IL giants stride
25O miles by land and water from the
Rapidan to the James river, and take two
months to do il in, as Mcclellan dld, oS
tensibly TO find III enemy, the heart oil
whose army was not 10 miles away, ana
which thlec years experience had show
, to be about the easiest thing III virginia
to find Grant went straight at it, ant
Overbore il, and ultimately destroyed 1t by
, a series of movements and battles unlike
anything ever seen before n.mudern var
fare, and we do not doubt that had Nc
- Clelau used the same kind of strategy
tactics, lOglstic>, courage and resolution
when he task WAS his, as Grant used, IN
would have destroyed Lees army IN M
first campaign against it, Neither do w
doubt that if Grant had been in McClel
lan's place, either at Malvern Hlll or Il
p Autietam, ne would have gained grea
p victory then and there, Moreover, w
D honestly believe that if Grant had com
| manded the Army of the Potomac at AN
70 time before Gettysburg he would hay
cut greater figure in history than any
of its commanders, Just the same as h
does nOw-for the simple reason that h
mad habit from the first of fighting m
battles and campaigns through To sue
>, cessful ending, and all the conditions {
' the campaigns in Virginia We're relativel
e just rs favorable to that kind of COZ
d cluson from the beginning as they WEI
n elsewhere"